Preview was founded by the then-26-year-old Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng (daughter of Filipino businessman
John Gokongwei). She had recently moved from New York to the Philippines and wanted a medium to attract fashion brands, leading to the creation of
Preview, a
glossy magazine. Its first issue was published in June 1995, under
Summit Media, of which Gokongwei-Cheng was also the president. The magazine's founding staff included former
Mega editorial assistant Leah Puyat (editor-in-chief), fashion photographer Raymond Lontok (creative director), and model Myrza Sison (fashion director).
The Beauty Edit Sasha Lim Uy Mariposa characterized the team as "eager" young adults in their twenties who "hunched over a conjoined desk", and would often be "greeted by flies and the stench of stale meat" at work. According to the three, outsiders did not take
Preview seriously; even Gokongwei-Cheng's brother Lance Gokongwei reportedly dismissed the project as just another one of his sister's "crazy" ideas. The first issue was published in June 1995, featuring model and actress Tweetie de Leon on the cover. Lontok shot the cover in his garage. In its first few years, most of the magazine's photography was done by Lontok himself or Puyat's cousin Lita Puyat.
Preview final print cover, released in May 2018, featured actress
Alex Gonzaga and makeup artist
Patrick Starrr. The magazine holds an annual gala called the
Preview Ball. Its 2025 gala celebrated
Preview 30th anniversary. In June every year,
Preview also releases a
Pride Month-themed edition. == Controversy ==